2026.09.18 — 2026.11.08 · Happening now
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze: Hudson Valley 2026
Blaze fills the night paths of Van Cortlandt Manor, an 18th-century estate on the Hudson, with more than 7,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns. Up close you see every cut; step back and the pumpkins become a starry sky, dinosaurs, a carousel and glowing buildings, with synchronised lights and an original score. This year the route is longer, adding film monsters, fairy-tale characters and a pumpkin ball. It opens every night in October and on selected nights in September and November.
The Pumpkin Planetarium is a dome built of jack-o’-lanterns; stand beneath it, look up, and it is a night sky.
The whole dome glows at once; come closer and every pumpkin shows its cuts. That jump from one lantern to a whole sky is the best thing here.
Life-size dinosaurs and a carousel that really turns are built lantern by lantern.
Familiar things remade in pumpkins, lamp by lamp, into a dinosaur’s outline and a turning carousel: the fun is in that contrast. A 2018 visitor called it more of a pumpkin museum than a haunted house, so the easily scared can come too.
The route is longer this year, with film monsters, fairy-tale characters and a pumpkin ball.
They are spread along the path, a new scene around every bend.
Andrea Worthington’s 2018 family visit account; a historical impression, not a guarantee of the 2026 displays.
It’s more like a pumpkin museum than a haunted house.
Tickets are online only, with no sales on site; general tickets are for a date and time slot, and you should arrive no more than 30 minutes early.
Open every night in October, but only on selected nights in September and November.
The main path has no steps and takes wheelchairs, but has narrow, sloping and gravel or woodchip stretches; the historic Gourd & Goblet Tavern is not wheelchair accessible.
Children 2 and under are free and need no ticket.
The Gourd & Goblet Tavern and the Headless Horseman’s Hideaway need the matching combination ticket; general admission does not include them.
The 2026 pumpkin-trail and installation map is still pending. This edition’s official visit page links a walking map from Croton-Harmon station to the manor; the arrival route is not the internal pumpkin trail.
Open official guide ↗Selected evenings from 18 September to 8 November 2026, every night in October. Entry time depends on the date and timed ticket selected; US Eastern time.
America/New_YorkAddress: 525 S Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. The nearest Metro-North station is Croton-Harmon. Check current services and arrange your evening return journey.
Advance tickets are required and are not sold on site. Standard tickets require a date and entry slot. Children aged 2 and under enter free without a ticket. Do not arrive more than 30 minutes before your slot.
From USD 24
The main trail has no stairs, but includes narrow, sloped and uneven soft surfaces such as gravel or woodchips. Accessible parking requires an eligible placard or plate. The historic Gourd & Goblet Tavern is not wheelchair accessible.
Dates and entry details refer to this edition; individual sessions may differ.
© Tom Nycz for Historic Hudson Valley · Historic Hudson Valley editorial press use; non-sponsored editorial context only Image source
Historic Hudson Valley
This outdoor walk includes uneven, narrow and sloped sections. Only selected September and November dates open; the overall date range does not mean daily operation. The press photograph is undated; the 2018 audience account describes an earlier edition.
Information checked on 2026-09-23
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